New Labour 2: the Scottish contingency

Some people believe that the decision on Trident owes more to defence of the coalition than to defence of the realm.

Jim Murphy is the latest Labourite to take up the role of Shadow Defence Secretary. There has been little noise on nuclear policy from the front bench. Murphy's main line of attack on the Coalition is cross-haired on their quasi-policy to delay any real decision on the deterrent until 2015.

Sitting on the right of the party, Murphy voted for renewal of Trident in 2007. His new team are all considered pro-Trident: Kevan Jones, Russell Brown, Michael Dugher and Gemma Doyle. Gemma Doyle, representing West Dunbarton near the Faslane naval base, is naturally a strong advocate for the area's economic interests.

Led by ambiguity from Ed Miliband and flanked by pro-Trident allies in the Shadow Foreign Office team, New Labour appears to favour renewal — but whether Murphy and his colleagues will be able to separate their constituency interests from those of the rest of the country when it comes to the vote remains to be seen. They have five years to decide.